1-25 stories Kaka'ako Project - the land owner sold the property, not sure what's going to happened to it now?
2-Pacific Quay Office Tower - The Pacific Quay project looks like it will turn into waterfront lofts instead of two towers.
3-Pacific Quay Hotel Tower

^I think these projects will really make a difference and another cool thing is that they will be mixed use so the retail, restaurants, and whatever else they add will add to the pedestrian experience and activity in the area

great thread Urbanguy...nice to see what is happening in Honolulu...like the first pic...it seems like a lot of cities that build residential highrises are starting to move towards the blue/green glass facades that is so popular in Vancouver now...less balconies (or mainly embedded ones) and more floor to ceiling glass giving it a smooth facade.
Any new tallest on the horizon?

^Unfortunately theres no news of a new tallest because of the strict height limits, although i think that the two residential towers proposed right across the street from me are supposed to be the largest in the area so its possible that they may exceed 400ft which only two others have been allowed to do so, so far: First Hawaiian Center 429ft/438ft? & Nauru Tower 418ft

A new condominium project on Nu'uanu Avenue in the Chinatown Special Design District is moving forward with the release of a draft environmental assessment today, but the developer says the odds of the tower ever being built are about 50-50.

Intracorp San Diego President Keith Fernandez said his company is still studying the feasibility of the project and went ahead with the environmental assessment so it would not lose any time in escrow with property owner Bank of Hawaii.

"The construction costs are high, and we are still trying to assess where the revenue will be," Fernandez said. "We are waiting for some revised construction numbers."

The Intracorp project is one of three residential high-rises in the planning stages in downtown/Chinatown, but all face either financial or planning obstacles and may never be built.

Bank of Hawaii, which had shelved its plan to build an office tower on the Nu'uanu site, has been trying for about three years to sell the property, which is valued at $7.7 million by the city.

According to the environmental assessment, the project, called 800 Nu'uanu Condominiums, would take up the entire one-acre block bounded by Smith Street, Nimitz Highway, Nu'uanu Avenue and Marin Street in the makai precinct of the Chinatown special district.

The 21-story building would have 189 condominium units with three-and-a-half levels of parking and ground-floor retail space. The tower would be 220 feet tall, 30 feet less than the 250-foot limit in the area.

The one- and two-bedroom fee simple units would sell for $300,000 to $600,000.

Fernandez said a decision on moving forward will be made in the next 60 days to 90 days.

Estimated construction time is about 30 months, with completion expected by mid-2006.

A public hearing on the project will be triggered when the developer files an application for a permit under the requirements of the Chinatown Special District, said Anthony Ching, of the city Department of Planning and Permitting, Urban Design Branch.

Another project has been proposed by a group called Downtown Affordables, which plans a 23-story building with 251 one- and two-bedroom units on North King Street where the 'A'ala parking lot sits.

The third project is a $35 million, 13-story elderly affordable housing residence near the historic O'ahu Railway & Land Terminal building financed through the state Housing and Community Development Corp.

Both developments could be killed or forced to redesign if a proposed expansion of the Chinatown Special District is approved by the City Council.

The bill seeks to expand the district by 20 acres into Iwilei, adding 'A'ala Park, the OR&L train station and the Tong Fat Co. building on North King Street.

The plan would reduce the building height limit from 150 feet in one area and 200 feet in another down to 80 feet.

The 800 Nu'uanu Condominiums project would not be not affected by the expansion and new height limits.

Downtown Neighborhood Board Chairwoman Lynne Matusow said there is a demand for more housing downtown but she would like to see some three-bedroom condos to encourage young families to remain in the area.